Permutation-lock.



L. E. McCAHAN.

PERMUTATIQN LOCK. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3. I916.

Patented July 10, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

L. E. McCAHAN.

Patented July 10, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

IT l

LEWIS E. MoCAI-IAN, OF WICHITA, KANSAS.

PERMUTATION-LOCK.

eeaeia.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2W, l 917.

Application filed October 3, 1916. Serial No. 123,586.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwrs E. MOCAHAN, a citizen. of the United States, residing at Wichita, in the county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Permutation-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention pertains to means for preventing surreptitious or unauthorized manipulation of electric switches such as used on motor vehicles, and other switches; and it has for its object to provide a peculiar and advantageous permutation lock combined in a novel and useful manner with the handle or operating element of a switch, with a viewto enabling a person leaving an automobile to lock the switch so that the automobile cannot be operated and stolen, and this without the employment of a key to be carried by the person in authority, and without any provision other than that such person in authority shall know the combination necessary to work the look so as to release the handle or operating element of the switch.

The improved lock may be left out of engagement with the handle or operating element of the switch, when desired, so that said handle or operating element may be freely operated in the conventional manner, and the lock may be worked by reference to a dial and pointer, or may as readily be manipulated in the dark; the operator, in the latter case, depending on the feel of the tumblers as they are brought into proper relative positions to permit of disengagement of the latch or bolt of the look from the manipulating element of the switch.

Other advantageous characteristics of my invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are read in connection with the drawings, accompanying and forming part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing my novel permutation look as combined with the electric switch commonly used on automobiles.

Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the inner side of the lockc'. 6., the side that is 0plock is manipulated to release the switch handle, and leave the latter free for opera tion in the usual manner. 7

Fig. i is a detail elevation. showing the inner side of the face of the lock casing, the spindle, the first driving disk on the spi1idle and the driven disk complementary to said driving disk.

Fig. 5 is an elevation showing the tu1nbler that lies next to and is designed to be operated by the driven disk of the series shown in Fig. 4, together with the driving disk next to said tumbler and the driven that cooperates with the latter driving t is r. r Fig. 6 is a view showing the tumbler that lies next to and is designed to be operated. by the driven. disk shown in Fig. 5, together with the driving disk and the driven disk that lie adjacent to said tumbler.

Fig. 7 shows the tumbler that lies next to and is adapted to be operated by the driven disk shown in Fig. 6, and also shows the spacing washer that is interposed between the said tumbler and the inner wall of the lock casing.

Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of the feeler comprised in the lock, and designed to enable the person manipulating the lock to tell the progress that is being made to position the tumblers so as to release the bolt.

Fig. 9 is a detail plan view showing the opening in the top of the lock casing that is normally closed by a removable closure plate.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

In Figs. 1, 3 and 9, is illustrated a switch. casing 1 such as is ordinarily included in the equipment of an automobile. In front of the said casing 1 is arranged a handle 3 which is provided with a spindle 2, Fig. 3, and is otherwise equipped in the ordinary well-known manner to throw the switch contained in the casing 1. It will be noticed by reference to Fig. 3 that I provide the said handle 3 with an aperture 4 to enable the bolt of my lock to cooperate with said handie.

In furtherance of my invention the casing of the lock is provided with an inner wall 45 that is designed to rest immediately in front of the central portion of the handle 3. On said wall are lugs 6 which are carried by a flange 5 and are designed to be extended through apertures in the front wall of the casing 1 and be bent against the inner side of said wall to secure my lock thereto, as shown in Fig. 3. It will also be observed by reference to Fig. 3 that the wall 4 is provided with an aperture 43 in registration with the before-mentioned aperture 4.

In addition to the wall 4, the casing of my novel lock comprises a side wall 7 and a face or front wall 5 the latter being preferably provided with a dial as shown in Fig. 1. The side wall 7 of the lock casing is provided in its top with an opening best shown in Figs. 4 and 9. The said opening is designed to be normally closed by a slidable closure plate 46 which is movable under flanges on the casing as best shown in Fig. 3 and is provided at its under side with a lug 47. The closure plate 46 is made removable when the bolt 41 is released so that access may be gained to the interior of the lock for any purpose desirable. It will also be noted that when said plate is removed the positions of the tumblers may be viewed as when it is desired to change the combination. My invention contemplates the utilization of bolt 41to prevent withdrawal of the closure plate 46 when the bolt 41 is projected into the aperture 4 of the handle 3, and toward said end the bolt 41 is provided at 44 with an upwardly extending projection which is designed when the plate 46 is moved home, to rest behind the lug 47 on said plate'i. e., at the opposite side of said plate, with reference to the inner end of the plate 46. Because of this it will be manifest that the plate 46 cannot be moved outwardly, toward the left in Fig. 3 until the bolt 41 is released and is moved by the spring 45 into the position shownin Fig. 3 in which position the lug 47 is enabled to clear the projection 44. It will also be noted that the projection 44 forms an abutment for the free portion of the spring 45 which is suitably connected to the casing wall 4. It will be further understood in this connection that when the bolt 41 is pressed inwardly against the action of the spring 45, and the lock is worked so that the bolt is secured by the tumblers in said position, the projection 44 will rest back of the lug 47 and will strongly secure the closure plate in its closed position.

The bolt 41 is provided in its underside with kerfs 42 corresponding in number to the tumblers employed. In the present instance, three tumblers 16, 26 and 36, are employed, and there are therefore three kerfs 42, which ke-rfs when the bolt is pressed inwardly, are designed to receive the tumblers which are then adapted to preclude move ment of the bolt to the position shown in Fig. 3, with the result that the bolt effectually prevents movement of the handle 3 un til the lock is manipulated to release the bolt and permit of its being moved to the position shown in Fig. 3.

The lock further comprises a spindle 8 having a spline groove 15, and a. knob 9, the latter being provided as shown in Fig. 1 with a pointer designed to cooperate with the before mentioned dial.

Fixed to the spindle 8 and arranged against the inner side of the front wall 5 of the casing, is a driving disk 10 on which is a lateral lug 11 designed to cooperate with an arm 13 on a driven disk 12, all as best shown in Fig. 4; the said arm 13 being provided with a projection 14. On the spindle and against the driven disk 12 is arranged the tumbler 16, Fig. 5, which tumbler is provided with apertures 19 in one of which the projection 14, Fig. 4, is disposed; the plurality of apertures 19 being provided in order that the combination may be changed when necessity demands. It will also be noticed by reference to Fig. 5 that the tumbler 16 is provided with peripheral recesses 17 and 18. Against the tumbler 16 and engaged with the spline groove 15 is a drive disk 20 on which are lateral lugs 22. The feather of the said disk 20 is numbered 21. A driven disk 23 is loosely arranged on the spindle and against the disk 20, and on said disk 23 is an arm 24 which carries a lateral projection 25. Loosely mounted on. the spindle and against the disk 23 is the tumbler 26 which is provided with apertures 29, one of which receives the said projection 25, and splined on the spindle through the medium of its feather 31 is a driving disk 30 having lugs 32 for cotiperation with the arm 34 of a driven disk 33, the latter being loose on the spindle and against the disk 30, and being provided on its arm 34 with a projection Loose on the spindle and against the disk 33 is the tumbler 36. This tumbler is provided with apertures 39, one of which receives the projection 35, and it is also provided with peripheral recesses 37 and 38 corresponding to the peripheral recesses 27 and 28 of the tumbler 26 in Fig. 6. Interposed between, the tumbler 36 and the casing wall 4 is a spacing washer 40. It will be noticed by comparison of Figs. 5 and 6, that the arm 34- of the driven disk 33 rests in the shortest space between the lugs 32, while the arm 24 of the driven washer 23 rests in the longest space between the lugs 22 on drive disk or washer 20. Because of this arrangement, the parts do not conflict on the reverse and at the same time the operation of opening the lock to release the bolt 41 is shortened.

The scheme of the invention consists in so positioning the tumblers that the recesses 41, and hence said bolt will be thrown to the position shown in Fig. 3by the spring 45, the handle 3 being thereby released. When, however, the handle 3 is positioned as shown in Fig. 3, and the bolt 41 is pressed into the aperture 4, against the action of the spring 45, and the spindle 8 is turned so that portions of the tumblers rest in the kerfs 42, the bolt 41 will be securely held against opening until the lock is again manipulated by the person cognizant of the combination of the lock.

The feeler 48 shown in detail in Fig. 8 has for its purpose to hold the tumblers in line during the working of the combination, and it is also designed to enable the party working the combination to read the action of the tumblers by feeling with the thumb the movement or pulsation thereof and to thereby determine by counting when to reverse. From this it follows that by virtue of the said feeler 48, the combination may be worked in the dark by a person having knowledge of the combination.

The feeler is provided with an enlargement 50 at its inner end in which are slots, 49, each designed to receive one tumbler and to hold the same against lateral deflection.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A look comprising a casing having an opening in its top, a movable closure plate for normally closing said opening; said closure plate having an interior lug, a bolt movable at an angle to the line of movement of the closure plate and having a projection adapted to cooperate with the lug of the closure plate and prevent opening of said plate until the bolt is retracted and to then clear said lug, and tumblers for controlling movement of said bolt; said tumblers being movable at right angles to the bolt.

2. A look comprising a casing having an opening, a movable closure plate for normally closing said opening; said closure plate having an interior lug, a bolt movable at an angle to the line of movement of the closure plate and having a projection adapted to cooperate with the lug of the closure plate and prevent opening of said plate until the bolt is retracted and then clear said lug, means for controlling movement of said bolt, and a spring bearing against the said projection of the bolt and adapted to retract the bolt when the same is released by said controlling means.

3. In means for the purpose described, the combination of a handle, and a permutation lock arranged alongside the plane of movement of the handle and comprising a casing having an opening, a movable closure plate for normally closing said opening, a bolt arranged to move at an angle to the line of movement of said plate, tumblers dis posed to intersect the path of movement of the bolt and adapted in one position to prevent withdrawal of the bolt and in another position to permit of such withdrawal, and cooperating means on the closure plate and the bolt constructed and arranged when the bolt is in engagement with the handle to prevent removal of the closure plate, and when the bolt is withdrawn from said engagement to permit of removal of the closure plate.

4. In means for the purpose described, the combination of a handle, and a permutation lock arranged alongside the plane of movement of the handle and comprising a casing having an opening, a closure plate for normally closing said opening and having a projection, a bolt arranged to intersect said plane of movement and having a projection adapted when the bolt is moved inwardly to cooperate with the projection on the closure plate to prevent opening of said plate and when the bolt is moved outwardly to clear said projection, and tumblers disposed to intersect the path of movement of the bolt and adapted in one position to prevent withdrawal of the bolt and in another position to permit of such withdrawal.

5. In means for the purpose described, the combination of a handle, and a permutation lock arranged alongside the plane of move ment of the handle and comprising a bolt arranged to intersect said plane of movement, tumblers disposed to intersect the path of movement of the bolt and adapted in one position to prevent withdrawal of the bolt and in another position to permit of such withdrawal, and a feeler constructed and arranged to engage the tumblers and adapted to be pressed by the operator.

6. In means for the purpose described, the combination of a casing having a front wall in whichare apertures, a handle movable in a plane in front of said wall and having a comparatively large central portion, a lock-casing wall arranged in front of said large portion of the handle and having a flange adjacent to the edge of said portion and also having lugs on said flange extending through the apertures in the front wall of the casing and bent against said wall, a casing portion connected with said lockcasing wall, a bolt mounted in said casing section and wall and arranged to intersect the plane of movement of the handle, and tumblers in the casing disposed to intersect the path of movement of the bolt and adapted in one position to prevent withdrawal of the bolt and in another position to permit of such withdrawal.

7. In means for the purpose described, the combination of a handle, and a permutation lock arranged alongside the plane of move ment of the handle and made up of a ma ing, a bolt movable transversely of the casing and disposed to intersect the plane of movement of the handle, a spindle mounted in the casing, tumblers loosely mounted on the spindle and disposed to intersect the speotive tumbler.

path of movement of the bolt and adapted In testimony whereof I have hereunto set in one position to prevent Withdrawal of the my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- 5 bolt and in another position to permit of nesses.

such Withdrawal, driving disks fixed to turn with the spindle, and driven disks that are disk being adjustabiy engaged with its re- LEWIS E. MGCAHAN.

actuated by the driving disks; there "being Witnesses: one driving disk and one driven disk com- 0. J. JoNEs, 10 piementary to each tumbler, and each driven J. J WRIGHT.

Gopies of this patent may .=be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, no" 

